Electric-motor gyroscope.



H. W. SHONNARD.

ELECTRIC MOTOR GYROSCOPE.

APPucATloN FILED Nov. 3, |915.

l ,1 92,468. Patented July 25,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

33 INVENTOR wlTNEssEs H. W. SHONNARD.

ELECTRIC MOTOR GYRoscoPE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3. 1915.

1 ,1 92,468. Patented July 25, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR @JWM JQ/WQ- mug; bull/fugg@ 241mm/ y 6 yd@ H. W.SHONNARD.

ELECTRIC MOTOR GYROSCOPE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov* 3. 1915.

1,1 92,468. I Patented hay 25, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@www 54 MM f @5M JMW I MJ@ HAROLD W. SEONNA R1), OF UIPPER MONTGLAIR,NEE] JERSEY,

ASSIGNOR TO CRUCIBLE STEEL COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF PITTSBURGH,ENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC-MOTOR GYROSCOPE.

Application filed November 3, 1915.

To all 'whom t may concern:

lle it known that l, lfiinoLo lV. SnoN- nano, residing at UpperMontclair, in the county of Essex and State ci New Jersey, a citizen orthe United States, have invented or discovered certain new and usefullinprovements in Eleetric-liiotor Gyroscopes, of which improvements thefollowing is a specification.

This application is, as far as there is common subiect-matter, acontinuation in part ei my pending application ior gyroscopicallycontrolled torpedoes, tiled April 3, 1915, Serial No. 18,962.

The invention described herein relates to the construction and oierationci electric motor gyroscopes regardless of the specific purpose forwhich they may he employed.

"he object of my invention is, lirst, to 'provide an electric motorgyroscope which may be quickly spun to the proper speed withoutliability of injuring the gimbal or rotor bearings by the electricspinning current, and, secondly, to provide a gyroscope ot the characterdescribed which may be continuously spun without liability of causing itto process by reason oi the electrical connections to a motor element.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, which form part oi myspecii'ication, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my vinvention.

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional View oilV the gyroscopemechanism, the support 'lor the gyn ope being shown in elevation; Fig. 2a wiring diagram ior the gyroscope or" Fig. l; Fig. 3 a sectional viewto enlarged scale taken on the line lll-Ill, Fig. 1; e detail sectionalview taken on the line lVMl/Y, 1; Fig. 5 a sectional view to enlargedscale of a detail of construction; Eig. 6 a face view of a contacter;and Fig. 7 a diagrammatic representation of my invention as applied toan automobile aeroplane.

The gyroscope shown herein is contained within a suitable housing 1mounted upon a support Q, to which there is also connected a servo-motor3 adagted to be operated by the movement of thc `gyroscopc relatively tothe support. It will, however, be understood that the gyroscope may heused ior other purposes than operating such a motor or equivalentcontro-lling mechanism. As far as some features of my invention areSpcccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Serial No. 59,360.

concerned, various types or" electric motors may be used in thegyroscopic construction. However, for reasons which will appearhereinai'fter, l preferably employ a polyphase induction motorcomprising a stator i secured to the inner gimbal 5, and a rotor Gpivotally mounted in such gimbal. iis will be seen, the rotor preferablycomprises a shaft portion extending centrally through the inductor orstator 4, and a suitable rim portion surrounding' the inductor.Furthermore, to the end that there may he a mini-l mum resistance to therotor, the gimbal o is preferably an air tight housing 'from which theair may be exhausted through a suitable check valve 7. As is usual insuch gyrosco-pe mechanisms as contemplated by my invention, the innergimbal 5 is pivotally mounted in an outer gimbal 8, which in turnpivotally mounted in the housing 1, ball or other suitable rotatablehearings being preferably employed at the several pivot points.

lllhen gyroscopes are used tor controlling torpedoes, automobileaeroplane, etc., 1it is desirable, and' in some instances necessary, toquickly spin them to a high .felocity; and to thus spin an electricmotor gyroscopc it is necessary to use such a heavy initial currentthat, if caused to llow through the gimbal bearings, there is greatliability of their being seriously injured if not entirely destroyed. Toovercome this dilliculty I provide means .for carrying the current tothe electric motor by conductors horno by a gimbal, and `furthermore, lprovide means for locking Ythe gyroscope during the spinning thereof andfor subsequently unlocking it and breaking the electric spinningcircuit.

The preferred construction for this purpose is illustrated in thedrawings, wherein there is shown a single slide member 9 for locking thegvroscope and making and breakin@ the circuit. The )articular motorshown herein. is a three phase induction motor. AFrom the stator d thereextend three conductors 10 (two ot which appear in Fig. 1) to contactsleeves 11 borne by the gime bal 5. ln positions to telescope with thesesleeves, the slide member 9 is provided with insulated conducting tubes12, which in turn telescope with conducting rods 13 secured to a disk 1dmounted within a casing 15, which casing incloses the slide member. Aswill be readily understood, the rods 13 are eov current carryingcapacity than the conductors 10 and the several contactors andconductors in circuit therewith. However, this precaution need not beobserved in case the conductors 33 and 38 are not, in eitect shunts ottwo of the conductors 1G, for it is well understood that the inducedcurrents, consequent upon the spinning ot' the rotor, will then preventheavy currents from lovring hrough the delicate spring contacts.

Ass already stated, the gyroscope which I provide may be used forvarious specltic purposes. Its adaptability to control torpedoes Will bereadily understood trom a consideration of the disclosure ot myaforementioned application Serial No. 18,962. In Fig. 7 I havediagrammatically illustrated its adaptability to guide or control anautomobile aeroplane. As there shown the gyroscope, indicated at 40, isarranged to control a servo-motor 41, which, through suitable levers 4t2and cords 43, operates the rudder di. The current for spinning thegyroscope is generated by a generator -l having suitable drivingconnections with the propeller engine 46, such current being carried tothe gyroscope through conductors 47.

The operation ot the gyroscope, in the form illustrated herein, andirrespective of any specilic use thereof, is as follows: The gyroscope,after being brought to the proper position, is locked by movingforwardly the slide member 9, and, in such position ot the slide member,circuits are closed through the stator Ai. A heavy current may then becaused to flow through the conductors 1G, rods 13, sleeves l2,contactors 11 and conductorslO to the stator l to quickly spin the rotor6 to the proper or required speed. Thereafter, the slide member 9 may bemoved rearwardly to unlock the gyroscopc and to break the electriccircuit just described, and the continued spinning ot the rotor will beprolonged at will by a lighter current carried through the conductors 33and 38, contacter' 32, rods 30 and the evoral illustrated connectionsfrom such rods to the stator.

I have already stated that my present application is a continuation inpart ot my pending application Serial No. 18,962. In said applicationthere is disclosed all ot the subject matter of my present case exceptthe means for effecting the continued spinning ot the gyroscope after ithas been unlocked.

I claim as my invention:

l. An electric motor gyroscope comprising gimbal rings, a stator and arotor; contactors borne by a gimbal and electrically connected to saidstator, and a member movable to and from such contactors for making andbreaking a circuit through them.

2. An electric motor gyroscope compris ing gimbals and motor elements,contactors carried by one of said gimbals and electrically connected toa motor element, a slide member provided with conductors adapted tocontact with said contactors, and means tor moving said slide member. p

3. An electric motor gyroscope comprising gimbal rings, and an electricmotor suspended therein, in combination with a single movable member forlocking the gyroscoge and for making and breaking an electric circuitthrough the motor thereof.

An electric motor gyroscope coigprising gimbals and motor elements,contactors borne by one oi said gimbals and electrically connected to amotor element, and a movable member provided with a centering pinadapted to engage and lock said contactorprovided gimbal and furtherprovided with electrical conductors adapted to contact with saidcontactors.

5. An electric motor gyroscope comprising in part a gimbal and anon-rotatable inductor, contactors carried by said gimbal andelectrically connected to the inductors, and a slide member providedWith electrical conductors adapted to contact with said gyroscopecontactors, said slide member' being further provided with a centeringpin for locking the gyroscope.

6. An electric motor gyroscope comprising gimbal rings and motorelements supported therein, contactors carried by one of said gimbalsand electrically connected to a motor element, and a second electriccircuit through the pivot points of said gimbals to said motor element.

7. An electric motor gyroscope comprising gimbal rings and motorelements supported therein, contactors carried by one of said gimbalsand electrically connected to a motor element, and a supplementaryelectric circuit through the pivot points of said gimbals to said motorelements, said supplementary circuit being ot less electrical capacitythan said circuit including the gimbal contactors.

8. An electric motor gyroscope comprising gimbal rings and a polyphascinduction motor including a rotor and a stator supported within saidgimbals, contactors borne by one of said gimbals and electricallyconnected to said stator, and a second electric circuit through thepivot points oit said gimbals and but a portion of said stator.

9. An electric motor gyroscope comprising gimbals and a stator and arotor supported therein, contactors carried by one of said gimbals andelectrically connected to said stator, means for making and breaking acircuit through said contactors to effect the initial spinning of saidstator, and a second electric circuit through the pivot points of saidgimbals to said stator and adapted to supply current for the continuedrotation of said rotor.

los

l0. fin electric inotor Tros suid stutor, u ineniber ii-ox eleotiiculconductors und ino 'ul i. breuk u circuit through soil contu tors, und

e u second electric circuit throuoli trie i points of seid gin'ibuls undbut` o. n i sziid stator.

ll. iin electric inotor gyroscop'A i ing? `iinbuls und u polyphuseinduction i tor including' u niotor und u stutor supT orte(L 1withinseid ginibuls, Suid stutor coi the induetor of the inotor und soeur d fet suid giinbuls, contuctors borne by one of Suid Qiinbuls und e`'tricull connected to the sere'ul phase 'wind i i inovuble ineinber pioudupted to niulre i `'iinbul oontuctors, tricuilji' connected to u und uc f' i pivot peints of su' tion ot the sever-irl the .inductoi7 suidsecond circuit current.-iurrying conucity tl through Suid giinbulcontuce electricallyv connected with il 1Q. i-rn electric inotoigyrosrcnc i ing pivotully inonnted ginibuis und niet@ r elenientssugpoi'ted therein, un electrico conductor borne by u '1 i" point undhaving un outer liking in the piro-tu i conductor being electricallyconn ct d of Suid inotor elenients, und u Yield;

tuctor adopted to centuct uit nicev oll suid ginibul conductor.

13. fin electric inotor ing' pirotulljv inou und in elements supportedun elec Li conductor borne by u eiiritu pointund disposed nitiiiL u'through the beuring` uren or su conductor hui'ii un oi lying in thepivot uxis being electricullgv connected i' inotor elements, i

Copies of this patent may be obtained 'for five adapted to contuet withthe Contact face of said ginibul conductor.

l-lf. iin electric inotor gyroscope coinpi'ising;` giinbul, und uninduction inotor includrotor und stator supported within the ginibuls,said stator constituting the indue tor o" the niotor und being` securedto the inner ginibul, electrical conductors borne by u giinbul ut its)ivot point und honing un outer Contact i'ice lying in the pii'otul axisof suid ginibul said conductor icing electricullji7 connected to saidstator, und u contuctor adapted to Contact with said Contact fece ofsuid giinbul conductor.

l5. Ln electric niotor gyroscope coinpi'ising giinbuls und un inductionniotor including,- rot/r und stator supported within the ginibulsu saidstut fr constituting;- the inductor o C .L 4v Y L 1 i `lio inoioi undbeing secured to the inner` "inibul, eleearicul conductors borne by sind'init ils their pivot points and disposed :ind extending through thebeuiiug creo ot such pointsj sind conductors beingl Areally connectedwith lseid stutoi' und eu h hning ut its outer end u Contact lince lyingin the pivot unis off the iiiibiilto which it is secured, undcontact-'irs udupted to Contact with suid contact faces of Suid ginibulconductors.

1G. n electric niotor gyroscope coinprise ring' uren of such `points7suid conductors being electrically connected with Suid stutor und euchhm'ing ut its outer end u. point cent-uct ly r bul to Wh tuctorf ud i igin the pii'oted uXis of the giniic i it is secured, und sgringg`conugted to Contact with Suid point scid giinbul conductors.

' ioniv whereof l hure hereunto setaci, addressing the Commissioner of.'Eatents,

